We must confront growing poverty rate in suburban Indy

3:25 PM,
May 23, 2013

Dan Biddle of Arcadia sorts through food delivered by Gleaners to the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds shortly before Thanksgiving last year. More than 18,000 people in need across Hamilton County received food, distributed at the fairgrounds and local churches.

Written by

John D. Graham

The soaring poverty rate in the suburbs, spotlighted in an important new book from the Brookings Institution, underscores the pressing need for low-cost solutions that have support across party lines.

Why so urgent? Poverty will get worse before it gets better, whether in cities or suburbs. As a recent Indianapolis Star article pointed out, it's certainly getting worse in our area. The city's poverty rate increased from 11.95 to 21.4 percent between 2000 and 2011. The suburban rate rose from 5 percent to 7.7 percent.